Vancouver Canucks re-sign Mason Raymond, take aim at Shane Doan

Elliott Pap, Vancouver Sun07.09.2012

Mason Raymond had 20 points (10-10-20) in 55 games played with Vancouver in 2011-12, as he returned to the team after a lengthy layoff from a severe spinal injury he suffered in the 2011 Stanley Cup Final against the Boston Bruins.

The 26-year-old forward agreed Monday to a one-year contract for $2.275 million, which represents a $325,000 reduction from his $2.6 million wage of last season. Maybe he'll even have Shane Doan on his line after Canucks assistant GM Laurence Gilman confirmed the team is pursuing the unrestricted free agent captain of the Phoenix Coyotes.

“I have spoken to Shane Doan on behalf of our organization a couple of times,” Gilman said Monday. “I spoke with him on July 1 to express our interest in bringing him to Vancouver and subsequently followed up with Shane last night. I know from my experience in Phoenix that he has been interested in Vancouver in the past. He's a western Canadian guy whose wife is from Kamloops. So I think there is interest there. I had productive discussions with both Shane and his agent.”

Gilman was quick to note there will be many suitors for Doan, 35, if he opts to leave the Coyotes and their unstable financial situation.

“Shane is a sought-after commodity and there are a number of teams who would be interested in adding him to their roster,” Gilman continued. “So we'll see what happens.”

On the Raymond front, the Canucks had filed for club arbitration in an attempt to lower the player's salary after his disappointing 10-goal, 20-point season in 2011-12. Raymond appeared in 55 games after missing training camp and the first two months due to a serious back injury suffered during the 2011 Stanley Cup Final.

“I'm happy to get it done,” Raymond said. “Vancouver is a place where I started my career and I've enjoyed the heck out of it ever since. As far as the business side goes, every player says it and it's the truth: it's a business.

“At the end of the day, no one should feel sorry for me. I'm doing very well and I'm playing a sport that I love to do for a living.”

Raymond has been able to train properly so far this off-season and hopes that will enable him to have a bounce-back year. Last summer, he was in a back brace.

“It's no excuse but going through what I went through breaking some vertebrae, along with other stuff, isn't easy,” he said. “But it's in the past and I'm happy to be back and healthy. I'm feeling great. It feels good to be able to get into the gym and get my body to a place where I feel it needs to be for me to be successful. I have a lot to prove. I'm excited to get going and to get the season started.”

Gilman, who is the Canucks' chief contract negotiator, was satisfied to compromise with Raymond and avoid an arbitrator's ruling. The Canucks were able to reduce Raymond's salary by 12.5 per cent. The maximum reduction allowed is 15 per cent.

“Our club invoked salary arbitration as a means of maximizing the efficiency of our salary cap and, to that end, we wanted to achieve the maximum amount we could,” Gilman explained. “However, there are times when you can win the battle and lose the war. Mason is obviously a very important player to us. We felt that way at the beginning of the process and we feel that way today.

“And you know what? Once you get to a hearing, you never really know what's going to happen. So we felt this was the best solution for us and for Mason going forward.”

Raymond, the Canucks' second round pick in 2005, has played five seasons for the club. His best year was 2009-10 when he scored 25 goals and collected 53 points. He dipped to 39 points in 2010-11.

“Quite honestly, we hope Mason comes back and scores 30 goals and tells us it's time to increase his salary dramatically,” Gilman concluded.

Raymond stands to become an unrestricted free agent next summer if the current free-agent rules remain in place under a new collective bargaining agreement.

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